


Familial Monograph

by cruciomysoul



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Academy, Adventures, Military Police - Freeform, Titans, for now at least, scouting legion, survey corps, the only warning is bad language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 11:46:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/991648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruciomysoul/pseuds/cruciomysoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We know what happened on screen with the trio, and later their squad and comrades - but what happened when we didn't see? What happened when no one was around? Who helped Eren with his reading? Who convinced Mikasa and Sasha to 'be nice'? How did Jean end up with a bloody nose after saying <i>that</i> ? Who knew Hanji had a desperate love for dogs and a habit of asking Levi for permission to name a Titan after him? And finally, how did the squad become close enough to be considered a family?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Writing To You Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [foreverautumn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverautumn/gifts), [catsonfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsonfire/gifts).



> Dedicated to the two authors above because I fell so hard in love with them and their writing.#
> 
> {p.s I have yet to read the manga because i don't think i'm in a fit enough state for that kind of emotional investment, so be aware of potentially wrong facts}

**Writing To You Now**

Armin wasn't sure what tempted him to write that letter, but alas, something had.

He wasn't sure what tempted him to post it, either, but yet again he had.

And now, staring at the still sealed envelope that had arrived in the post this morning, it was all Armin could do not to cry.

His hands trembled, his teeth were biting into his lip and blood was rushing through his head and ears like a tidal wave. But still he would not allow himself to cry.

"Armin?"

Suddenly remembering that he was not alone, Armin turned around to face Eren, and in doing so, shoved the envelope as well as his hands behind his back. "I-its nothing," He tried to reassure Eren, even attempting to smile for his benefit. Needless to say, Mikasa saw right through his guise.

"What's wrong?" She asked, before her eyes darted down to what Armin had hastily shoved behind his back. Black eyes narrowed somewhat dangerously, she reached forward and yanked his arms, prising the envelope from his grip.

"Mikasa!" Eren berated her, torn between throwing a useless punch at his sister and taking the envelope back off her. Eren just couldn't decide, but he guessed Mikasa came first, so he did nothing but glare at her impoliteness, whilst hating himself for not defending Armin, or aiding the guy in getting it back.

"Wait! No, don't-" Armin's cries fell silent and his body seemed to slump, curling inwards, as Mikasa turned the envelope over.

Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise, flashing in confusion for a moment before they settled on slight recognition.

"This letter-" She said softly, lowly, voice so smooth Armin felt like he could bury himself peacefully inside of it.

"Is for my grandfather, I know."

Now puzzled expressions plaguing both of their faces, Eren and Mikasa looked at each other before looking back at Armin.

"Armin," Mikasa began again, finger lightly tracing the hand written address, "This handwriting-"

"Is mine, I know also." Head bowed still, Armin could not refrain himself from trembling. He knew his voice must have as well.

"What?" And then, of course, there was Eren's unintelligent question, followed swiftly by a sharp thud and a not-so-muffled curse.

It was that which seemed to send Armin over the edge.

The siblings only saw a few droplets land on the floorboards before they were covered by Armin's sunken knees, elbows pressing deeply into his thighs as his hands held his head.

"This is all just so difficult for me!" Armin sobbed, giving his head a firm shake. "I'm not like you two!" He cried, briefly sparing the pair a terrified glance. "I'm not profificient at killing; my speciality isn't slicing flesh. I can't turn into a giant Titan, I have no particular use. I just stand there- and, and take orders!"

"Hey! Armin, that's not true! You're our strategic, if we didn't have you or your plans-"

"Eren's right, Armin,"

"No, no he's not." Armin shook his head once more, releasing it from the grip of his hands so that he could wipe away the fresh tears that formed at his eyes. "You'd have better plans, a better strategist- you'd probably succeed a lot more, too."

"Don't be stupid!" Rough hands yanked firmly at his sides, except they practically pushed him down instead of up.

Oh. Armin had forgotten how much of Mikasa's tempter stemmed from Eren's. He was the real issue of the two, his uncontrollable rage often flying off the handle and landing him in deep pits before he'd rationally thought it through.

"We never meant for you to feel that way," Mikasa chipped in, her voice much more a comfort than anything. The sound of it made Armin's stomach churn; he didn't deserve it.

"It's not your fault," Armin was still rubbing at his eyes, still leaking salted tears, but now that Eren had released him, he could begin to stand. "It's mine. I'm not like you two, I can't cope with all this as easily as you seem to." Armin paused, "Sometimes I just need somebody to talk to." 

"You can always talk to us-" Eren interjected, but Armin cut him off just as quick, a small and obviously forced smile marring his face.

"Now who's being stupid?" He questioned, "You already carry so much weight- I can't burden you with something else, let alone something this trivial. It wouldn't be fair of me."

"Armin-" Eren was once again cut off,

"It's okay," The smile was a little less forced, a little more genuine, but only so. "Really, it is." He insisted, walking forward on still shaking legs and taking the envelope back from Mikasa's now slack grip.

The siblings watched as he walked a little off to their left, both pairs of eyes silently following his form.

Once he arrived at the table, Armin fished a key out of his pocket and slotted it into the lock, turning it until a soft click was heard.

Pulling the draw open, Armin placed the envelope gingerly inside before shutting the draw and replacing the key.

"I write these letters to my grandfather," It couldn't be said whether Armin was adressing Eren, Mikasa, both or neither; he was just talking. Perhaps the blond was addressing himself. "And I put them into envelopes and even post them. They come back a couple days later, sometimes just over a week, and when I see the address- sometimes I forget that's my handwriting. Sometimes. But then I place the envelopes in this draw here," Armin fiddled with the handle, "Never opening them, I never open them once they've been sealed, and I hope my grandfather gets them and they're read. It's stupid, I know." Armin rubbed the back of his neck, as though embarrased.

"It's not stupid," Eren blurted out, and Mikasa nodded in agreement. "How-" Eren gulped, "How long have you been doing this?"

Armin was caught by genuine surprise at the question. He gulped, before racking his brains for a specific date. "Since..." Armin couned off the months backward on his figners, "About July last year. Quite a few months."

Eren could only nod, at a loss of what to say. Mikasa was the opposite; "Why? Why do you write them?"

Armin cocked his head to the side, mouthing a repeat of the question. "Why...?" Frowning, he mulled over the answer. Blinking, after a long, silent pause, he finally answered: "I guess- I guess I just need someone to listen to me. And back when my grandfather was alive- he always listened to me, no matter what I had to say. That's one of the things I miss, always having somebody to talk to..."

"I see." Mikasa ducked her chin slightly into her scarf, and when she next spoke, her voice came out a little muffled. "I'm sure he's still listening to you, Armin. He'd probably listen even if you didn't write, too. The dead never really leave us, not when we know them so well." Armin could see the smile in her eyes as she spoke, before she turned and tugged on Eren's sleeve.

They both politely ignored the slight glisten to Eren's eyes, and Armin knew his eyes were most likely the exact same picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't actually what I wanted the first chapter to be (I wanted it to be Annie and Armin b/c I have a soft spot for them but I also wanted it to be Levi and Eren _~bonding_ but you got this instead so i hope it was okay anyway for a first attempt at this fandom
> 
> Song: One Hump Ahead ~ Aladdin (I'm gon' tell you a song that I listened to whilst writing each chapter)


	2. Honour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi told Hanji the answer was no. Hanj's not giving up so easily, it seems.

"Not a fucking chance."

"But Le- _vi!"_  Whined Hanji, hands clasped in front of her chest, begging position to ensue.

"No." He growled back, beginning to turn away. Hanji had to jog to keep up with him, despite his relatively small strides. Small legs could walk surprisingly fast, wow, who knew?

"Come on!" She practically cried, begged, mourned- Levi couldn't pinpoint her voice to one direct emotion, couldn't discern her emotions at all, was growing ever more agitated with her.

Showing no outward signs of annoyance, Levi continued walking, and continued ignoring her and her blabbering.

"This is a good thing! It's a thank you! You know, for not taking a chunk out of their necks. I'm naming them in your _honour_ , Levi! How cool is that?" Supressing a shudder, because it was  _not_  cool, in fact it was extremely creepy, because who in their right mind would want a disgusting creature such as a Titan named after them in their  _honour?_

Not Levi, that was for fucking sure.

"No fucking way." He bit out, only becoming irked more when she let out a devistating sigh. "Name them after your shitty cannibals or something."

"I can't." Levi noticed when she stopped walking beside him, when the air grew heavy and a thick tension rose.

"B-Bean was the last name available, an-and-" Levi didn't have to have turned for him to know her eyes were filling up; the slight tremble of her lips that showed when she spoke was every indication to go by.

 Levi also knew he shouldn't have turned.

Because it was a trap. It was always a trap. Hanji was a trap. Hanji was a psychotic trap who should not be allowed to be called squad leader and should not be allowed anywhere near him.

Goddamn Erwin and his Goddamn recruitment ordeals and Goddamn Hanji and her blubberingly disgusting face.

Grabbing onto Levi's shoulders, Hanji looked down at him, her (now stupidly shining, whilst also stupidly crying) face staring him down determinedly.

"Please let me name the Titan's in your honour, sir!" Her voice was commanding, authoritative and it vaguely reminded him of the scolding voice his mother would often use when he-  _but that did not matter because the answer was still:_

"No." 

"But-" She began again, trying to once more plead her case.

"Hanji," As if to make his point even sharper, Levi's hand reached out and clamped down on the roots of Hanji's hair, dragging her down to his (rather short in comparison) level. "You need to remove your filthy hands from my body. You also need to understand that 'No' means ' _No'_  and that I will  _not_   be changing my mind on this. Now stop asking, you creep." Releasing her head, Levi managed to turn completely and walk stiffly off, ignoring her whails and cries that echoed down the hallway, undoubtedly heard too by the men still lingering inside the dinner hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha Levi is actually taller than me Haha ha Lance Corporal Levi Rivialle is taller than a 16 year old girl who's scientifically done growing and has yet to accept that fact Ha ha Annie is also taller than me oh god I need tO STOP BEFORE I CRY AGAIN.
> 
> {P.s if you can't tell this one will more than likely have sequels of various degrees}
> 
> Song: Bat Out of Hell ~ Meatloaf


End file.
